On The Shores of Oblivion
by love-warmth-life
Summary: Someone killed her, and she wanted to know why. But first, Sakura needs to learn how to survive in this macabre world known as the afterlife. While struggling to come to terms with her new existence, she discovers that not everything is as it seems… [AU. Sakura-centric. Minato/Sakura. Dark!Fantasy. Rated M.] *Chapter 2 Up*
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note****: **Welcome, dear reader! This story is my first in many years, and it is a personal experiment to see how far I can take my imagination.

Sakura-centric. Major AU warning!

**Disclaimer****:** Naruto is not mine and never will be.

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**_Mature Readers _****ONLY** **please! **There may be inferred adult-content.

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~ Please adjust the story-width to either 1/2 or 3/4. It will be easier to read!

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**Chapter One**

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In a place where time had yet to be born, a woman drifted down a sinuous black river, propelled by a volatile current that tumbled her beneath its roiling surface.

The water that flowed over her head was black as pitch and infinitely colder than ice. Had she been awake, each dark droplet would have felt like acid against her ghastly pale skin. Fortunately, consciousness had fled long ago, and glassy eyes set in a slack face gazed unseeingly into the inky black depths.

Lost in a maze of fragmented dreams, she remained completely unaware of her surroundings.

As fate would have it, her liquid prison was one-of-a-kind. Eons before the creation of Man, the River had already flowed through a thousand different worlds. It was so ancient that it had eventually gained sentience. Although it could not communicate with words, the River was nonetheless an intelligent and curious being.

Its body—if it could be called that—was thick and viscous, like heavy molasses and just as tenacious. Usually at rest due to sheer boredom, it slowly awakened upon feeling a new disturbance rippling its sensitive waters.

All who fell into the River belonged to it—at least until they were sent to their next destination.

From deep within the darkness, solid tendrils of the obsidian liquid slowly coalesced into existence and began swimming in the direction of its newest plaything.

The woman did not react as the dark strands paused to regard her with interest, before slithering up her neck to probe curiously at the openings to her ears. A few more ducked into her nostrils and burrowed down the collapsed tube of her trachea; in search of something only they could see.

Still others—ones that looked thicker and glossier then the rest—took their explorations further down south.

Like serpents, they meandered with grace across the flat skin of her belly, not stopping until they reached the apex of her thighs. Upon finding what they had been looking for, the tendrils quivered in excitement before surging forward.

The woman's body gave a sudden jerk, spasming briefly before falling still once more. Other than a minute widening of grass-green eyes, no further reaction crossed her pallid face.

A single bubble the size of a small pebble escaped her parted lips, wobbling mournfully towards the distant surface.

The River chortled with glee, ecstatic by its precious find after years of mind-numbing boredom. In the next instant, more sinewy tendrils effortlessly emerged from the darkness, wrapping around its prize and tugging her gently towards the unseen river floor.

As she sank into the silent depths, long strands of pale pink hair slowly billowed upwards, tangling like clumps of seaweed against her motionless form.

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_"The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity." - Seneca_

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In the middle of a sparsely wooded clearing littered with the dry husks of dead trees, a pair of green eyes suddenly snapped open, only to stare in bleary confusion at the sight of a dark red moon illuminating a starless night sky.

The owner of those eyes was a young woman, who had awakened to find herself lying on the back in the ashen dirt. She blinked once, then a second time. When the eerie vision failed to dissipate, she reluctantly used sore arms to push herself into a sitting position. Her head throbbed with a vengeance and she rubbed at it, grimacing.

A hangover? But she didn't recall drinking any alcohol last night.

And it wasn't just her head, she discovered, but her whole body felt like one big aching bruise. Small cuts and scrapes littered her arms and legs, stinging painfully for attention.

Greatly confused, she spent the next few minutes gingerly examining the rest of her injuries; a dried gash on the forehead and a swollen left knee among the worst of them. However, it was with growing trepidation that she realized she couldn't recall how these injuries came to be.

Come to think of it, her wounds were the least of her worries. The woman was shocked to find that she did not know _where _she was, or even _who _she was.

Fighting the urge to panic, she concentrated on wracking her brain for the answers.

Unfortunately, gazing into her own mind was like peering into the blackest abyss. If she once had memories, they certainly weren't there now. The woman realized she could not even remember her own name, and the discovery terrified her.

It was many minutes later before she finally came to terms with her predicament.

While she sat there, wondering what to do next, a strange idea unexpectedly floated through her head: What if today was actually her _first _day of existence?

Even though it sounded absolutely ludicrous, something inside of her was reacting well to the thought. Second laters, however, she berated herself for being stupid and began studying her surroundings instead.

She was sitting in the midst of what looked like the aftermath of a great forest fire. The uneven ground was charred black in some areas, and coated with gray ash in others. In every direction, corpses of blackened trees loomed like dark and menacing sentinels.

A rust-colored moon had risen high in the sky, bathing everything in its somber red glow. It was eerily beautiful in a sort of post-apocalyptic way. The woman vaguely recalled hearing something about a red moon, once. But the memory was fleeting and it slipped away like a wisp of fine smoke.

Other than a few craggy boulders scattered about, there was nothing else to be seen. It was both a sobering and unfamiliar sight.

As she contemplated her next plan of action, a strong blast of icy wind suddenly bulldozed through the clearing; sending the gray ash flying and nearly bowling her over.

Blinded by her own hair whipping about in the turbulent wind, the woman struggled for shelter behind the nearest tree. Upon feeling the rough bark against her back, she prepared to hunch down and make herself as small as possible. However, the next instant barely passed before the wind had dissipated into nothingness.

In the silence that followed, swirls of moth-eaten brown leaves drifted gently to the ground.

The woman blinked warily, feeling quite peculiar. When nothing else happened, she turned her attention back to herself. She was unimpressed to find that the only thing she wore was a flimsy white dress that ended just above her knees. Both feet were bare. The dress was thin, sleeveless, and completely impractical for her current surroundings.

No, this wouldn't do. Not at all. Clamping down firmly on her anxiety and fear, her lips flattened into a resolute line and she reached up to break off a long branch from the tree.

Although she was still confused and upset, there was no way she was going to just sit around and wait to be found. Besides, gut instinct was telling her that in this kind of situation, protocol demanded that she find safe shelter immediately. The woman did not know how she knew this, only that it needed to be done.

Using the newly torn branch as a make-shift crutch, she chose a random direction and began carving a slow path through the desolate forest. As she walked, she wondered if she had been a very eccentric person in the past.

After all, why else would she have dyed her hair _pink_?

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* * *

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Following that first night in the clearing, the woman quickly came to the conclusion that she had been cast into hell, though she tried to deny it. There was simply no other logical explanation for the strange and often frightening things she had encountered.

This forest, she realized, was like something out of a mad man's dream.

During the daytime, a dense wet fog descended upon the land and covered everything in sight. It was so thick that she could not see more than three feet in any direction. If there was a sun, she never caught a glimpse of it. The fog was able to easily soak through her clothes in a matter of minutes, which made her quite miserable.

Nightfall was a whole other story, and the transition from day to night occurred unbelievably rapidly. The first time it happened she had been astonished.

One moment she stumbled through the forest—barely able to see her own feet. But in the span of ten seconds, the fog had simply disappeared as if it had never existed. Looking up, she had been bewildered to see the rust-colored moon already glowing high in the sky. It just didn't make sense.

There were other things, too. Things she didn't like to think about.

During the day, the sound of hushed whispers would sometimes echo through the fog. She never understood the words being said, but the soft voices always seemed to be moving closer and closer to her. Once she could have sworn that someone had whispered directly into her ear. But when she whipped around, there had been no one there.

Another time, the strangled scream of a woman had unexpectedly echoed through the air. She had run blindly towards the sound, only to end up lost in the fog for hours.

Nights were usually not much better. Bathed in the moon's red glow, the forest became as silent as a tomb. Dark shapes sometimes flitted between the trees, often too quickly for her eye to see. Several times, she had come across claw marks gouged deeply into solid rock. The sight of it had compelled her to fashion crude weapons out of some branches for protection.

In spite of everything, the woman was quite resilient because she slowly but steadily acclimated to her surroundings. She learned to travel at night and sleep during the day. Finding food was no simple task, but hours of foraging had revealed bland but edible tubers hidden beneath the blackened soil.

Water had been more difficult to come by. For the first few days, she had resorted to wringing out her fog-soaked clothing for drops of the precious liquid. But on the sixth day of travel, she discovered a small pond hidden behind a large boulder, where she ultimately decided to set up base.

On the seventh day, she gave herself a name.

The woman had stripped down to bathe for the first time when she caught sight of her reflection in the water. It was disconcerting because the image did not look even vaguely familiar. Pale-skinned and lightly muscled, her body had an athletic build that spoke of someone who exercised often.

However, what stole her attention was not the clear green eyes or (surprisingly) natural pink hair, but the huge mess of scar tissue resting on the skin just above her heart. About the size of her hand, the scar extended below her collarbone to the tip of her left breast. It was a hideous thing, all splotchy and puckered, with jagged, raised edges.

She had traced it with her fingertip, both fascinated and horrified. What kind of injury did it take to result in such a wicked looking thing? Based on the shape of the scar, it appeared something big had been plunged into her chest, and then ripped out. The pain must have been immense.

She wondered how it was possible to have survived such a wound.

The feeling of horror quickly passed as a funny but ridiculous thought popped into her head.

Since her memory still had not returned, she had decided on creating a new name for herself. Unfortunately, all the names she came up with never seemed to feel right. As stupid as it sounded, the discovery of this scar meant that she could now call herself _Scar-girl_, and it would suit her quite well because it was technically true.

…Come to think of it, wasn't there another name that had been equally ridiculous yet accurate? Without knowing why, she raised her left hand and brushed her fingers against her forehead.

The feeling came and went, and was quickly forgotten.

Gazing at her reflection once more, she noticed that the color of her hair appeared almost familiar. The pale pink reminded her of something delicate and fragrant; something that arrived every spring. What was it again?

Forcibly concentrating, the word she searched for began to reluctantly emerge, like heavy tar being suctioned from the dark recesses of her mind. …A little more… there! Grasping it triumphantly, she tested the name on her lips.

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"…Sakura."

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And deep in her bones, it felt _right_.

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Sakura—as she now called herself, released a tired sigh as she dragged the crudely made sled filled with freshly dug roots down the familiar path back to her camp.

Countless days had passed since her arrival in this godforsaken forest, and it was all starting to wear her down. She had been here so long that most of her injuries had healed. With the exception of her knee which still hurt like a bitch when she put weight on it, the rest of her body was as good as new.

It had never been part of the plan to stay in one place for so long.

However, one night she had painstakingly climbed the tallest tree in the area out of sheer curiosity, and had been sorely disappointed by what she saw. She had hoped to catch a glimpse of civilization in the distance, but her vantage point revealed nothing but desolate landscape that stretched for _hundreds of miles _in every direction.

It was as if someone had plopped her in the middle of nowhere and left her to fend for herself.

Regardless of personal feelings on the matter, her decision to stay in the same place was for practical reasons. Her injured knee was still not strong enough for extended travel, and plus, she had hit the jackpot by discovering a patch of ground full of roots.

With a steady supply of water at hand, what more was there to ask for?

Stopping to catch her breath, Sakura released the sled and flexed her hand to ease the soreness. She found herself humming a cheery little tune to keep the silence at bay. If there was one thing she hated most about nights, it was the complete lack of sound. Other than the occasional howl of the fierce wind—which she could almost pretend was alive, the forest she inhabited appeared devoid of all life forms.

It was impossible not to be used to it by now, but oh, how she yearned for the chance to talk to another human being! As a social creature, she was immensely sick of having only her voice to keep her company.

In addition, she was also sick of eating those flavorless roots. Sure, food was food and being picky meant death, but if only there were some animals around! Images of a succulent roast turning on a spit drifted through her mind, and she swallowed with a wistful sigh as saliva pooled in her mouth.

Rest time soon over, the lost woman resumed a faster pace back to her camp. Based on the position of the moon, she had about another hour before it would be daylight, and there was no way in hell she wanted to be caught up in that fog...

.

The moment Sakura arrived back at her camp, it was apparent that something was wrong. Her bed—which had taken _three whole days_ to build from slender branches, had been carelessly torn apart. The flat rock she used as a sitting stool was thrown on its side, and the roots that were set out to dry two days ago had all but disappeared.

Narrowing her eyes, the pink-haired woman soundlessly placed the handle of her sled to the ground, and moved to pick up one of two spears she had made for just this kind of situation.

Straining her ears, she could barely make out a strange slurping noise coming from behind the boulder. It sounded almost like a dog drinking water, but what would a dog be doing all the way out here? No, it was most likely a wild animal. Possibly a deer, or maybe a bear.

Raising the spear, Sakura bravely tip-toed around the boulder, ready to confront the beast that dared invade her home. Unfortunately, nothing in the world could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her eyes.

Bathed in the eerie red glow of the moon, a gargantuan creature that vaguely resembled a frog was crouched by the pond on its hind legs, taking its fill of her precious water. The thing was about the size of a bear, but appeared infinitely times more deadly.

Covered in wrinkled, flesh-colored skin, it looked strangely naked and vulnerable. Yet judging by the razor sharp claws that protruded from its paws, she knew that was not the case. A long sinuous tail whipped leisurely from side to side, tipped with barbs that easily sank into the boulder she hid against.

Like a frog, the creature had an extremely long tongue that it was using to drink with. The appendage was dark purple, almost black, and it retracted into an enormous maw that glistened with multiple rows of sharp teeth. Giant, bulbous eyes protruded from either side of its misshapen head. The eyes appeared unfocused at first, but as she watched with mounting horror, the pupil to the left suddenly swiveled around in its milky nest, coming to rest directly upon her.

Her heart nearly stopped in her chest.

She barely had time to leap out of the way before the creature had whipped its head around, sending its long tongue flying after her. The tongue hit the boulder instead, which completely _shattered_ upon impact. A huge cloud of dust and rock particles mushroomed into the air, obscuring everything in sight.

She used this time to hide behind the trunk of a thick tree, and stood trembling against it in disbelief.

_This is not happening! This is not happening! This is not happening! _The mantra repeated in her head like a broken record.

Back by the pond, the creature sniffed and scratched at the remains of the boulder in frustration. Unable to find her, it released an ear-piercing roar.

The blast of sound managed to bring her back to reality and her eyes narrowed in determination. Right now, there were clearly two choices: Plan A was to try and kill that monster (which honestly sounded like the stupidest thing in the world), and Plan B was to attempt an escape with her life intact.

Sakura knew that she must have been some kind of fighter in the past.

In the long weeks of living on her own, she had quickly discovered that this body of hers was unusually strong and flexible. Even so, she had major doubts about defeating a monster of this magnitude. So that pretty much ruled out Plan A.

Plan B it was, then.

She emerged from her rapid thoughts to find that the forest had gone utterly silent. With a mental curse, Sakura berated herself for not paying better attention. Feeling her blood pound loudly in her ears, she tightened her grasp on the spear and listened intently for signs of the creature's presence.

Five minutes passed, then ten. Just when she entertained the thought that it might have left…

Something wet and slimy brushed against her foot.

Sakura glanced down in surprise, and then immediately fought the urge to scream. Despite her best efforts, a pathetic whimper still managed to escape her lips. The thing she felt had been the creature's tongue, and it was now slowly coiling up her leg.

Immobilized by both fear and disgust, she watched dumbly as the tip of the appendage slithered higher and higher, until it eventually disappeared beneath the ragged hem of her dress. Having seen the thing pulverize a boulder, she had expected it to be as hard as steel. However, the serpentine muscle turned out to be quite soft to the touch. It was coated in a gelatinous fluid which allowed it to glide easily across her skin.

To Sakura's immense shame and horror, she felt herself beginning to heat up.

The appendage seemed to be leisurely exploring her flesh; poking and prodding so gently that she nearly blushed. Against her best wishes, her muscles were involuntarily relaxing, and she was beginning to feel quite…disoriented.

Her knees trembled when the tongue reached the seam of her thigh. As it tickled the spot, a strange, warming sensation began to magnify outward from the point of contact, spreading all over her body. Suddenly, she felt unusually sleepy. Sakura struggled to keep her eyes open but it was simply too difficult. Her brain felt like it had been replaced with cotton.

Lips parting, she allowed her head to fall back against the tree, completely dazed and confused.

And then two things happened at once.

The first was a jolt of pleasure so strong that she gasped and jerked back, accidentally scraping her cheek against the rough bark.

And the second, was that her eyes had shot open, only to stare directly into one of the creature's milky eyeballs. It had emerged from its hiding place to watch her every reaction. Thick, foul-smelling drool dribbled down its wrinkled chin.

Shocked back to her senses, Sakura fought the urge to gag and reflexively thrust her wooden spear forward. It was only through sheer luck that she managed to pierce its eye.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Unwinding from her, the thing released a pained shriek that nearly burst her eardrums. It thrashed about, gouging deep holes in its own flesh as it clawed at the spear. She ducked and rolled as its tail whipped about, pulverizing the tree she had leaned against. A shower of splinters filled the air.

With her heart beating furiously in her chest, she scrambled to grab the remaining spear from across the clearing.

Fortunately, it wasn't needed because the creature was done for.

The thing was apparently not too intelligent because it had accidentally lodged the spear even deeper into its eye. Sakura watched warily as it lumbered about, screeching and swaying before collapsing into a heap on the ground. It twitched a few times before finally falling still.

All was silent in the forest once more, except for the sound of her own rapid breathing.

Moving on auto-pilot, Sakura made sure the creature was actually dead before giving in to the urge to retch. When she finished, she covered the mess with dirt and began wiping strands of sticky slime off her leg.

However, the feeling of horror and disgust remained. There were simply no words to describe just how _dirty _she felt right now.

That…_thing_ had been…and she had almost…

Severely disturbed and more than slightly traumatized, she decided that she was _not _going to think about what just transpired, at least not at this moment. There would be plenty of time to come to terms with it tomorrow.

Right now, her next plan of action was to get some rest and assess the damage done to her campsite.

She had barely finished gulping down some water before there was a sudden movement at the edge of her peripherals. Whipping around to face the new possible threat, Sakura couldn't keep her jaw from dropping.

A man had stepped out from between two trees.

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For the second time that night, she was stunned into silence.

The newcomer was very tall, with tanned skin and dark brown eyes. He had a patrician nose and high cheek bones that were framed on either side by long brown bangs. The rest of his hair flowed loosely down his back. Dressed in an imposing red armor that emphasized the broadness of his shoulders, he cut quite an intimidating figure.

Intimidating or not, he was still the first human that she had seen in _ages_, and her momentary shock quickly gave way to barely restrained happiness.

"E-Excuse me, sir…" she began hurriedly, in an excited voice that was hoarse from days of disuse. "I've been lost in these woods for quite some time now... and I would _really_ appreciate it if you could guide me back to the nearest… village, or city…" she trailed off, suddenly feeling quite self-conscious.

Covered in both dirt and drool from her recent fight, she must have looked quite a sight.

If the man heard her he gave no indication, and his stern features remained strangely impassive. Without bothering to introduce himself, he took a step towards her.

Sakura was slightly taken aback, but tried her best not to show it. Although the man's eyes were a pleasant shade of brown, his unblinking stare was just a bit unnerving.

Under the impression that he might not have caught her words the first time, she opened her mouth to repeat the question. However, he chose that moment to tip his head back and gaze intently at the sky. On impulse, she followed suit.

At first glance, she hadn't a clue what they were looking at, but after a moment it soon became clear. From the far left, there was a bright glimmer of white light that appeared to be slowly spreading across the surface of the moon. With each second that ticked by, the white increasingly ate up more of the red.

They were witnessing what appeared to be a lunar eclipse, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. The red moon had been beautiful enough, but she had a small hunch that this white one would be twice as brilliant when fully realized.

As she gazed at the spectacle, a feeling of calm rose within her chest, and she suddenly felt more energized.

Eventually, she dropped her gaze back to the man… just in time to catch a glimpse of his red armor as he disappeared back into the trees.

He was leaving her behind.

Surprise turned to fury in an instant. "That bastard…" she cursed under her breath as green eyes flashed with ire. "HEY, wait up!" she yelled after him.

The man either didn't hear her or was purposely ignoring her. She had a feeling it was the latter, and her stomach churned queasily at the idea of being alone again.

Mind made up, she moved to follow him.

The man was extremely _fast _for someone who wasn't even running (_how did he do that?!_), and she had to scramble to catch up. He ignored all of her calls and led her on a merry chase through the desolate woods, winding this way and that so many times that her sense of direction was thoroughly shot to hell. Every time she sped up, he seemed to sense it for he would speed up as well.

A good chunk of time soon passed, and Sakura became unsure how long she would be able to keep up. She had quit shouting for his attention long ago in an effort to conserve energy, but apparently it still wasn't enough.

Right now, her muscles were practically on _fire_ and she couldn't seem to get enough oxygen into her lungs. Plus, her feet were absolutely killing her. The crude wooden sandals she had so proudly carved were definitely _not _the best foot-gear for running.

In a stroke of bad luck, she suddenly tripped on an upraised root and went sprawling to the ground. Groaning painfully, Sakura managed to push herself into a sitting position. She gingerly touched the warm liquid that suddenly trickled down her neck, and her fingers came away red and sticky.

She had gashed her chin open against a rock, and the intense stinging sensation was making her eyes water. Unfortunately, the fall had cost her far more than just this injury. Glancing up, she realized the man had disappeared. The trees around her grew densely together, and in the darkness there was no way to tell which direction he might have gone.

Once again, she was alone.

Feeling her heart plummet, Sakura struggled to her feet. Too tired and depressed to even curse, she settled on catching her breath instead. As she panted, her eyes caught sight of a twisted green vine that seemed strangely out of place, and she followed it with her gaze until it disappeared into the thick forest canopy above.

With a start, the pinkette realized that she'd been so intent on chasing the man that the very ecology had changed, and she hadn't even noticed!

Completely mind-boggled, she surveyed her surroundings with new eyes.

The air here was thick with moisture and smelled strongly of fresh dirt and leaves. Plants and bushes grew everywhere, tangling with long vines that dangled like snakes from the trees. It was still dark and she couldn't see too well, but this forest felt startlingly alive—a stark contrast to the burned-out woods she had inhabited for so long.

Above her, sturdy boughs heavy with leaves shifted in the invisible wind, allowing a few rays of moonbeam to hit the forest floor.

The pale light shimmered _white_, and Sakura stared at it, entranced.

Of course, the eclipse! She had completely forgot about it. Not knowing why, she suddenly felt the strangest urge to see it once more. Looking around, she quickly chose the tallest tree she could find, shucked off her sandals, and began to climb.

When her head finally popped above the dense canopy of leaves, it was to the vision of a radiant white moon illuminating the night sky. The eclipse had come full circle and it was nearly too beautiful for words. The light was ethereal; almost…_sacred_, even. She basked in its glow with a contented sigh.

From her vantage point, she was finally able to see a long mountain range in the distance. Some of the mountains were so tall that their summits were covered in snow. Others were short and dumpy, more like hills. It was overall quite a majestic sight.

And then something else caught her attention.

Hidden near the base of the craggiest peak, there appeared to be what looked like a dark, gaping hole that seemed entirely out of place. At first glance, she thought it was the entrance to some kind of cave, but the shape of it was too smooth to be natural. It almost looked man-made.

Lost in contemplation, it took her a few moments to realize that the pain from her chin had all but vanished. Further inspection revealed that the gash was _gone_, as if it had never even existed. However, dried blood still stained the neckline of her dirty white dress.

The pain from her knee was also gone, and she suddenly recalled that she had been running on it all this time without feeling a single twinge of discomfort. With a wry shake of the head, she wondered if this strange place would ever stop surprising her.

And then the forest around her literally exploded.

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* * *

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The shock-wave from the explosion was so powerful that Sakura was torn from her perch. She tumbled to the forest floor, smacking painfully into multiple tree branches on the way down.

The final impact knocked all of the air from her lungs and she doubled over in pain, coughing wretchedly. It was only when she could breathe normally again that she finally looked around, wide-eyed and dazed.

_What the hell was that?! _

Many of the trees nearby had toppled over, sending a huge cloud of dust and dirt wafting into the air. Broken branches and limp vines obscured the ground; some charred and others still smoking. From the wreckage, it looked like a giant bomb had gone off, and she was suddenly very glad for her life.

Making sure there was no immediate danger, Sakura carefully inspected herself. Luckily, nothing had been broken. However, both arms and legs were sporting long scratches, courtesy of the rough branches.

Before she could begin tending the largest of the cuts, it suddenly glowed with a soft green light and began knitting closed, right before her astonished eyes. The same thing began happening to the rest of her injuries as well.

_So_ _that's how it happened… but why?_

As she watched her wounds heal, something inside of her reacted emotionally to the sight, and her chest felt heavy with homesickness. Why did this look so familiar? She didn't know the answer but was sure it had something to do with her past.

Soon, all of her injuries had healed except for a nasty scrape on her forearm. She couldn't tear her eyes away as that, too, began healing. By the time the light finally vanished to reveal smooth and unblemished skin, Sakura was horrified to find that tears were dripping down her cheeks.

Frustrated by her feelings of helplessness, she angrily wiped the tears away and cursed her lack of memory, wishing not for the first time that everything was back to normal.

…Not that she could remember what normal_ was_, per say. Just that it probably _didn't _mean a creepy forest inhabited by eerie fog, voracious frog-like monsters, random explosions...

The pink-haired woman was so lost in inner torment that it was only through sheer instinct that she ducked, narrowly missing having her head skewered by a three-pronged blade. The blade sank deeply into a fallen branch behind her.

Shocked by the near-miss, Sakura paused for a split-second before bursting into action. She lunged to her feet, dodging a few more blades as they came whistling through the air. Her body's agility and fast reflexes astounded her, but she had no time to think about it.

Right now, someone was trying to kill her.

A near-miss shaved an inch off of her hair and she quickly hid behind a boulder. Peering discreetly from her hiding spot, green eyes narrowed as a man dressed in a dark green flak jacket materialized out of thin air, right near the spot she had vacated not too long ago. He reached down, effortlessly pulling one of his blades from where it had embedded into the branch.

As if he knew where she was hiding, he straightened his back and shifted to face her direction. The new position illuminated his features starkly under the bright moonlight—made brighter still by the recently fallen trees.

The man had short blonde hair that was slightly longer in the front, and eyes that were a startling shade of blue. With lightly tanned skin and a perfectly symmetrical face, he could have looked quite handsome if not for the current circumstance.

He was frowning, and it was a dangerous look on him.

"I know you're there. Show yourself!" he demanded in a cold, hard voice.

Sakura panicked, unsure what to do. Who was this man and why was he trying to kill her? Did she accidentally trespass on his lands or what? The woman had no idea what the hell was going on and she yearned for answers. Against her better wishes, she decided to do what he said, and hesitantly inched out from behind the boulder.

When the man saw her, his eyes widened and the frown on his face actually _deepened_ into a look of pure disgust. His arm drew back, ready to send his blade flying at her.

Sakura's heart leaped into her throat.

"Wait, don't throw it!" She quickly choked out, flashing both palms at him in a universal sign of surrender.

At the sound of her voice, the blonde man faltered and a look of shock crossed his face.

"You can speak!" he muttered, stating the obvious as if he couldn't believe it.

Sakura stared at him incredulously, her heart thundering wildly in her chest. "Of course I can speak! What kind of question is that?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never made it out. In the next instant, a long serpentine tongue that only looked _too familiar _had shot out from the woods, hitting him squarely in the chest.

The force of the blow knocked the man off his feet, punching him through two trees before he finally impacted head-first against a fallen log. He didn't get back up.

Sakura barely managed to duck down in horror as not one, but _two_ of the flesh-colored creatures suddenly dropped down from the trees. Both of them appeared identical to the one she had fought earlier, down to the very tip of their barbed tails.

Drooling heavily, the creatures flicked out their long tongues and tasted the air, before loping in the direction of the fallen man. As they passed by her hidden location, Sakura realized they hadn't seen her. She nearly sighed in relief, but the breath froze in her throat when she thought of the man.

He was going to be killed.

The pinkette clenched her eyes shut and groaned. Instincts were suddenly telling her to do something extremely _stupid_ right now, and for the first time since she had woken up in this godforsaken place, she wanted to ignore them. After all, why save a man who tried to kill her?

Nevertheless, her instincts won the battle against reason.

Whispering a silent prayer to a god she doubted even existed, Sakura emerged from her hiding spot before she could change her mind.

"HEY! Over here!" Waving her arms to attract more attention, she shouted with far more courage than she felt.

Upon hearing her voice, the creatures stopped in their tracks and turned around. When they caught sight of her, a look that could only be described as _excitement _crossed their ugly features, and Sakura knew she was in for it.

Without waiting to see if they followed, she dashed into the forest.

The creatures thundered after her.

Tangled pink hair streamed like a flickering flag as she sprinted through the woods, trying her best not to step on sharp objects with her bare feet. Unfortunately, the darkness made it difficult and the pain slowed her down.

While running, Sakura couldn't help but mentally berate herself.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Wasn't there something **else** you could have done instead of offering yourself like a sacrifice?!_

She briefly tried to think of what that 'something else' could have been, but running for her life was taking up all her concentration. Behind her, the sounds of the creatures crashing through the trees became increasingly louder, which only meant one thing:

They were gaining on her.

Frightened by the very thought, Sakura spurred more energy into her feet in an attempt to regain more distance.

She did not know there was steep cliff right ahead of her.

Apparently, the creatures weren't aware of it either. In the next instant, one of them had let loose its long, powerful tongue. The grisly appendage whipped through the air and slammed into her back with deadly accuracy.

With a choked cry, Sakura was knocked right off her feet. She hit the ground hard, tumbling head over heels in the dirt. Unfortunately, there was nothing to slow her down, and the force of the blow sent her rolling right off the edge of the cliff.

She plummeted through the air soundlessly, too shocked to scream.

The creatures, realizing they had lost their prey, released simultaneous roars of fury into the air.

Sakura was too distracted to hear it.

In her moment of weightlessness, the sky had swallowed her vision. Like a magnet, her gaze was suddenly drawn to the iridescent moon. It was slowly turning red once more, and for some inexplicable reason, the sight of it made her want to cry.

That feeling only lasted a split-second before everything went dark.

.

* * *

...To be continued.

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Author: So...what do you think about this introductory chapter? I know you probably have a ton of questions, and I'll answer them soon. There will definitely be more dialogue in Chapter 2 as well. Thanks for reading!

**Reviews will be treasured!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note****: **This chapter is **dedicated **to all my** readers**! Thank you SO much! Knowing there are a few people waiting for this helped me write faster, haha. I hope you will enjoy this chapter as well!

**Disclaimer****:** Naruto is not mine and never will be.

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~ Please adjust the story-width to 3/4 or 1/2. It might be easier to read!

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**Chapter Two**

* * *

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With a low grunt, Minato Namikaze heaved himself out of the wreckage wearily, leaving behind a large indent in the unfortunate log that had broken his fall.

Judging by the familiar feeling of emptiness in his chest, he was quite certain that once again, his chakra had been sealed.

Nevertheless, he glanced up at the sky just to make sure, and then sighed in resignation. His fears had been confirmed. The moon was already returning to its original crimson hue.

Based on its appearance, he must have been unconscious for a good ten, or even twenty minutes.

But regardless of how much time had passed, the fact remained that the eclipse—or _Transition _as it was commonly called, had ended. This was the reason why he could no longer use chakra, which in turn, also meant that he was unable to perform his signature transportation jutsu.

In other words, he was now stranded in the most treacherous part of the wilderness.

The blonde-haired Guardian silently cursed his ill luck. _Great. Just great_, he thought cynically.

The last time this happened to him had been _years_ ago, and even then he hadn't been this far away from the Village. Without chakra, it was going to take him at least three weeks before he could make it back on foot.

Elder-sama was definitely going to laugh at him for this. That is, if he managed to return alive.

Minato cautiously surveyed his surroundings before deciding there was no immediate danger. As he cataloged his injuries (thankfully only a few nasty bruises), he recounted the events that led to his meeting with the unknown woman.

Attacking her had been a mistake, and he felt deeply regretful.

The moment he had teleported into the forest with his team, a pack of Hounds had separated him from the others in a clever ambush. Forced to fight for his life, he managed to eliminate all but two, who cowardly fled into the treetops.

He had come across the female while chasing after the runaway beasts.

She was sitting on the ground motionlessly, _suspiciously_, just beyond the edge of the crater left by his _Rasengan_. Not expecting to find a fellow human this close to the Nest, he had assumed she was one of _them _and did not hesitate to attack her.

Surprisingly, the woman was able to dodge all of his blades, which had forced him to move closer to retrieve them. However, his anger had spiked through the roof when he saw her clearly for the first time. The creature was terribly mistaken if it thought it could trick him by taking the form of such a lovely young woman.

But then she had surprised him by actually _talking_ to him, and that was when he knew she was real. After all, it was common knowledge that one of the few things the parasites couldn't mimic were human speech patterns.

He didn't know what she was doing all the way out here, but it definitely meant that her arrival to the Chasm was a recent one. If he was right, then she was the first new arrival he had encountered in a very long time.

Unfortunately, Minato harbored no illusions that she was still alive.

Before losing consciousness, he remembered hearing her shouts echo through the forest, and that was how he knew she had drawn the Hounds away from him. It was a terribly stupid yet brave thing to do. Hounds were notorious for their voracious appetites... especially when it came to human females.

Once latched onto a female's scent, nothing short of death would be able to stop them.

Whoever she was, this woman had essentially sacrificed herself to save him, and he would never be able to thank her for it.

The thought of another life lost deepened his foul mood, and he was unaware that a look of rage had spread across his handsome features.

Like everyone else in the Village, Minato was extremely protective of females. How could he not be—when more than half of their women had disappeared, thanks to those damned beasts?

With new determination filling his eyes, the blonde expertly withdrew a long, slightly curved blade from its worn leather sheath at his side. In the dim light, the obsidian metal gleamed dangerously.

This sword was forged from a rare material that could slice through anything, and he never left the Village without it.

Chakra or no chakra, Village Law dictated that he needed to hunt down those creatures and kill them immediately. If he didn't, the likelihood of them tracking his scent back to the Village was far too great. An image, no, a _memory _of a vicious bloodbath appeared in his mind's eye, and his heart ached with sorrow.

He had sworn never to let anything like that happen again. As one of the elite Guardians of the Village, he would shed blood to keep that promise.

.

Ultimately, it didn't take him very long to find the Hounds. Moving swiftly through the woods, he easily followed the trail of destruction those things had created in their rampage.

The trail ended at a steep drop, and both creatures were standing at the very edge with their fleshy backs facing him. Snarling and howling in a fit of wild hunger, they sniffed the air and clawed furiously at the dirt; like starving beasts who sensed a morsel just beyond reach.

This time, it was _he_ who ambushed _them_.

The slaughter was quick and efficient; exactly how he liked it. In two sweeping motions, his blade cleanly severed their heads from their fleshy torsos. Thick black blood with a slightly blue sheen spurted from their necks and splattered across the ground, and the stench of it – like rotting flesh – quickly filled the air.

Minato absently nudged one of the still-twitching carcasses with the tip of his boot, careful to avoid stepping into the blue-black gore. Having completed his duty, the fire that burned in his chest had reduced to a low simmer.

However, he was curious. What had distracted these creatures so much that they hadn't smelled his arrival?

Looking over the edge of the cliff, it wasn't long before he found his answer.

On a craggy outcrop far below him, a crumpled figure stained with blood lay motionless among the shadows.

.

* * *

_"Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely." – Edna Vincent Millay_

* * *

.

She waited for him underneath her favorite tree, shaded by elegant, willowy branches that were densely covered in delicate pink flowers.

There was a subtle aroma in the air, reminiscent of the freshest floral perfume mixed with just a hint of sunshine. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the scent.

It had taken her all morning to choose what to wear, and she hoped he would like the simple white sun-dress that swirled at her knees as much as she did. Her rose pink hair tumbled down her back in gently curled waves. Although she normally wore it in a braid, today was a special day.

After all, they were having their first date and she wanted to look extra nice for him.

Hands that were both delicate yet deadly tightened nervously around the handle of a wooden picnic basket. Preparing his favorite dishes from scratch had been time-consuming, and she fervently hoped he would arrive before the food went cold.

Thinking about him made her cheeks flush and her heart swell with affectionate longing. He was already late, but since she had waited so long for him to finally ask her out, she could afford to wait a little longer for him to arrive.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before she spotted a tall figure moving slowly in the distance, and her pulse quickened in anticipation. He was finally here!

But as the figure drew closer, the wide grin that easily spread across her face slowly diminished before disappearing altogether, replaced by a small frown.

She was mistaken. The man coming towards her wasn't the one she waited for. She recognized who it was, yes, but it only added to her confusion.

As the Hokage's apprentice, she knew that this particular person should have left on a mission to Sand yesterday morning. As a matter of fact, she had watched him depart through the Village gate with her own two eyes.

So what was he doing here instead?

There wasn't much time to ponder before the unexpected visitor finally reached her.

Standing several feet away, his face was strangely downcast and his whole body seemed to tremble with suppressed emotion. She instantly knew something was wrong, and his name fell from her lips in a tone tinged with worry.

Upon hearing her voice, he looked up, and she was taken aback by the hollowness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." he whispered flatly.

She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant by that, but his hand had already darted forward. There was a sickeningly loud squelch. And just like that—her world stopped turning.

The basket slipped from her slack fingers and upended over the ground.

To her credit, she didn't fall. Yet. Stumbling back a step, her widened eyes dropped to stare uncomprehendingly at the gaping wound carved into her chest. Dark red liquid trickled down the front of her dress in warm rivulets, dripping silently to the ground. The shock was so great it took her a moment before she finally understood what happened.

But it was too late.

The pain was like nothing she had ever experienced. It was all-encompassing, as if someone had rigged each of her nerve endings to detonate at the same time. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't scream. Moreover, the agony of the wound was nothing compared to the agony of betrayal. Her heart bled, both physically and figuratively.

She had always prided herself in being strong, but this was just simply too much. Against the inescapable onslaught, her mind bent, then fractured into a thousand pieces.

.

With a strangled cry, Sakura jerked awake, an expression of abject terror twisting her features almost unrecognizable.

Unfocused green eyes were glassy with horror, staring without seeing at a random point somewhere in the distance. As the seconds ticked by, they slowly returned to awareness.

Covered in a cold sweat, the pink-haired woman realized her heart was beating so rapidly she was afraid it would burst. It took her several minutes of deep breathing to finally calm down. The dream had been so realistic that her chest ached with a phantom pain, and she fought the urge to rub it.

_It was only a nightmare, _she tried convincing herself. _None of that was real_.

How could it possibly be real when she was lying here and very much alive? The woman she had embodied in that dream had _died_.

The nightmare had shaken her to the core, and naturally, she struggled to forget it. Luck was fortunately on her side.

Like most dreams, the second she awoke it had begun fading into the gray ether of her subconscious. Within moments it was gone; leaving her with only an inexplicable feeling of unease.

Her thoughts quickly turned towards the most pressing matter at hand, which was the nausea-inducing pain that was being transmitted to her brain from various parts of her body. A sudden wave of disorientation sent dark spots flying across her vision, and her stomach churned in misery.

_What the hell happened?_

The last thing she recalled was feeling strangely free as she flew towards a red moon glowing high in the sky. Wait, that didn't sound quite right.

… Ah yes, it was starting to come back now. She hadn't been flying at all.

Instead, she recalled _plummeting through the air _after tumbling off the edge of a cliff, thanks to those damned frog monsters. It certainly explained why her body felt like a few gorillas had used her as their personal punching bag.

Someone must have found her, otherwise she wouldn't be lying on a hard, bumpy surface in what appeared to be a dimly lit cave.

It was a rather small cave, she observed, with a musty smell and enough room for only a few people. The ceiling was fairly smooth in comparison to the walls, and was about eight feet up from the uneven stone floor. There was a large crevasse in the wall to her left, which she assumed was the entrance. Other than a small lantern that glowed feebly in the corner, the cave was pretty much empty.

There was no sign of her savior in sight.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably beneath the heavy white cloak that had been draped over her body. Absently noting the pattern of red flames embroidered on the hem, she pushed the cloth aside and sat up slowly, stifling a yelp as a searing pain announced the presence of a rib injury. In the dim light, she stared aghast at her numerous bruises and lacerations.

_This is becoming far too familiar_, she thought to herself miserably.

Someone had worked hard to patch her up while she laid unconscious, and all of her wounds were covered in some kind of amber substance, which she assumed was medicine. Whoever it was had done a good job because nothing appeared inflamed.

However, what worried her the most was her leg. From the knee down, the bloated limb was purple and blue, and looked positively ghastly. She was afraid to touch it, let alone put weight on it.

The pink-haired woman heaved a tired sigh, unsure of what to do.

She was hungry and thirsty, and desperately in need of some painkillers. She wondered how long she had been unconscious, and whether she should leave now or wait for someone to return.

…Assuming she hadn't been abandoned, of course.

While deciding her next plan of action, the distinct sound of rocks sliding against one another suddenly reached her ears. Startled from her thoughts, her eyes landed on a large cylindrical crack that was slowly appearing on a section of the stone floor.

The scraping noise continued, and under her wary gaze the crack became increasingly apparent. She quickly realized what was happening when a large chunk of rock was pushed up from the ground and eased to the side, revealing a dark hole big enough for a person to fit through.

A bulky green pack was shoved through the hole, followed by a small burlap sack that bulged at the seams.

Lastly, a head of spiky blonde hair poked through the opening. Upon catching sight of her sitting there and looking very much awake, the newcomer froze for a split-second before pulling himself up the rest of the way.

Sakura watched as he slid the rock back over the hole, the seams blending so effortlessly that it was no wonder she had missed it the first time.

Her eyes were riveted to the strange man who was now sitting on his heels, watching her with cautious blue eyes. She recognized that hair, that face, and definitely that dark green flak jacket. He was the same man who had attacked her with his blades in the woods.

The realization brought a flood of red-hot anger surging through her veins... that quickly fizzled out seconds later. She simply didn't have the energy to be angry right now.

"Who are you, and why did you attack me?" she demanded instead.

At her words, the man grimaced and offered her an apologetic smile.

"My name is Minato. I apologize for attacking you, but I thought you were one of the enemy. Thank you for drawing the Hounds away from me. I owe you my life." He spoke in a smooth and even voice that sounded slightly rehearsed, but the tone he used was appropriately contrite.

Sakura glared at him suspiciously for a few moments, but ultimately decided to give him the benefit of a doubt. His apology had sounded genuine enough, and there was no reason to be angry if the attack had been an honest mistake.

"I'm Sakura. You're welcome." She replied curtly. The pain was intense and she wasn't in a talkative mood.

The man seemed to understand because he didn't say anything. Turning to his pack, he pulled out a small bottle filled with tiny white pills.

"Pain-killers." He said simply, and hid a smile at the look of hunger that crossed her face.

Grabbing a flask of water, he slowly crossed over to where she sat and handed it to her, as well as two of the white pills. Sakura accepted the items from him cautiously. Just because he apologized didn't mean he wasn't still dangerous.

Sniffing the contents of the flask for signs of foul-play, she bravely popped the pills into her mouth downed it with several long gulps. The cool water was extremely refreshing on her throat and she tried not to drink too much at once.

The man named Minato busied himself by taking the liberty to inspect her wounds. He had taken out a small container of the amber medicine and was reapplying it to some of her deeper injuries. Aware of her suspicious eyes on him, he made sure his movements were slow and non-threatening.

The pain-killers were starting to work, but she hissed in discomfort when he touched her swollen leg.

"…You don't know it, but it's already looking much better." he commented offhandedly as he examined the blue and purple limb.

Sakura pondered the revelation with a frown. "How long have I been out?" she finally asked.

"Three days. You were hurt quite badly."

"…Where are we?"

"A safe-house, seven miles from where you fell."

"Oh. What happened to those… things. The ones that were chasing me?"

He raised a golden eyebrow. "You mean the Hounds? I killed them."

"...So that's what they're called? Hounds? They don't look anything like them."

Minato paused in his ministrations and sat back thoughtfully. "I suppose we call them Hounds because of their ability to track smells; not because of what they look like. Besides, dogs don't exist in this world."

She stared at him incredulously. "Care to repeat that again?"

The man had the gall to chuckle at her shocked expression. He had a nice laugh, she mused absently, before clamping down on the thought and discarding it.

"I'm sure you've noticed by now that this is a different world." His face suddenly turned quite serious. "We call it the Chasm, and many of us believe it is the afterlife."

She paled at his words, and her hands instinctively curled into uneasy fists. "Are you trying to tell me that… we're dead?" she asked disbelievingly, and her recent nightmare suddenly rose to the forefront of her mind.

He noticed her pallor and chose his next words carefully. "It depends on what you mean by 'dead', he explained. "While many of us do remember some events from a previous life, we are also alive right now. So in that sense, we aren't truly dead."

She nodded at his explanation, but still appeared uncertain.

Minato gave her a small smile and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It will be a lot to take in, but if you're willing to listen, I'll do my best to explain everything to you."

.

* * *

.

It really _was _a lot to take in, Sakura mused a few hours later.

The blonde had been very patient; doing his best to thoroughly answer her every question. Right now, he was on the other side of the cave roasting some kind of meat over a dark green flame. She noticed that the flame did not give off smoke nor shadow.

From what he told her, this world was even stranger then she had originally believed.

She learned that humans were a small minority in a land primarily inhabited by a vicious race of monsters. Minato had referred to those monsters as _parasites_, and she had been afraid to ask him why due to the intense look of hatred that had crossed his face.

Quickly recalling the strange green glow that healed her previous injuries, she had changed the subject by asking him about that, instead.

He had appeared mildly surprised before gazing at her with new respect in his eyes. "It looks like you were probably a healer before you came here," he deduced, "Your body must have instinctively healed itself when you were injured."

He went on to explain that the eclipse she had seen was known as the Transition, and it occurred once every sixty days. During that time, those who had the ability to use _chakra _gained access to it once more. Unfortunately, it only lasted for sixty minutes. When those sixty minutes were up, their chakra was once again re-sealed until the next Transition.

She found the entire concept extremely odd, but it was no stranger than anything else she had encountered so far.

The phenomenon definitely explained why her current wounds hadn't healed themselves, and she concluded that her fall from the cliff must have taken place _after _the Transition had ended; when her chakra had already been sealed. Whatever the case, she was still immensely grateful to be alive.

Now if only she could get her memory back, things would be so much easier.

Right now, she felt like a stray leaf blowing in a turbulent wind. Even if this place was truly the afterlife (which she stubbornly refused to accept until there was further evidence), having an identity to fall back on would lessen much of her anxiety.

A skewer of meat was suddenly thrust in front of her nose, and she was jolted from her morose reflections. Lifting her eyes, she saw the blonde crouched beside her.

"I wouldn't think too hard if I were you," he admonished gently, "If you're wondering about your memories, you should just let them be. You might get bits and pieces now and then, but it's unlikely they'll ever return completely."

She accepted the meat from him with a small frown. "How did you know what I was thinking about?"

He shrugged. "I've been in your shoes before." he responded enigmatically, before moving away to finish roasting the meat.

Her stomach rumbled at the prospect of food, and she was just about to take a bite when she suddenly noticed that the fragrant morsel had a tail attached. And four legs. Her hunger pangs instantly vanished and she turned slightly green. Glancing across the cave, she saw Minato eating the same food—tail and all—with a nonchalant expression on his face.

Sighing in resignation, she hesitantly raised the meat back to her lips. It was _very _possible that dinner tonight was a lizard, but what was that saying again? Oh, right. Beggars can't be choosers. Considering she owned literally nothing except for the clothes on her back, she fit that criteria close enough.

Sakura bravely put the head of the roasted lizard into her mouth and bit down slowly, trying her best to ignore the crisp-sounding _crunch_. Green eyes widened as an explosion of delicious flavor danced across her taste buds, and she quickly took a second bite, chewing enthusiastically.

Lost in her meal, she didn't notice that the blonde had stopped eating to watch her, an amused and thoughtful expression on his face.

.

When the meal was over and the leftovers stored, Minato stretched out on a gray blanket he had brought with him earlier. The lantern sat on the floor between them, and Sakura drowsily watched the soft light flicker from where she lay.

It shocked her that she was feeling so comfortable around a stranger she had just met, but she wisely chalked it up to her desperate need for human interaction following weeks of miserable isolation. Besides, he had cared for her injuries, and he didn't quite seem like the psychotic-murderer type. She was going to keep trusting her instincts on this one.

A lazy and comfortable silence filled the air.

Warm and content, and high on painkillers, she was feeling quite sleepy when Minato suddenly shifted to face her, propping his head up with one hand.

"Sakura-san. That place we first met in the woods. Is that where you lived?"

At the sound of his voice, she blinked the drowsiness from her eyes and looked over at him.

"That's a good question," she mused, "I almost forgot about it myself, but no. I was chasing a man through the forest and he just happened to lead me there."

He visibly tensed at her words and sat up. "Where did you meet this man and what did he look like?"

She noticed the change in his demeanor with curiosity.

"He approached me at my camp in another part of the woods," she recounted slowly, "He had long brown hair and was wearing some sort of red armor. I tried to talk to him, but he didn't say a single word to me before taking off."

As she spoke, a storm seemed to descend upon the man's face. His eyes darkened and she suddenly recalled how dangerous he had appeared during their initial meeting.

After a moment, he spoke again. "Sakura-san. That man you were chasing was probably not a man at all. I have my theories as to why he left you alone, but please try to avoid him the next time you see him."

She nodded slowly, her expression slightly aghast. "So you're saying…"

The look on his face was dead serious. "Yes. Do you remember the creatures I told you about? Some of the more powerful ones have the ability to shift into human form. It is a very effective method of camouflage that they use to hunt prey."

"Thanks for the warning." she muttered gratefully, suddenly feeling lucky to be alive. "But if he was one of those creatures, why did he run away from me?"

The blonde stared pensively at the shadows flickering on the wall. "It must have been the Transition," he said at last. "The ones who can shape-shift are intelligent, and they know that during the eclipse, many of us become infinitely more powerful. It probably assumed you could use chakra and decided not to engage you in a fight it might not win."

His explanation made sense, and both of them lapsed into silence once more.

Sakura was now wide-awake and feeling quite uneasy. She fiddled with a lock of tangled pink hair, absently picking at the dried blood and dirt crusting the strands together. She couldn't stop thinking about what he said earlier, about this nightmarish world being the afterlife.

If he was right, she wondered if she had committed some kind of horrible sin in her previous life, and was now being punished for it. What had he called this place again? Ah, yes...the _Chasm_. It sure sounded like it could be the official name of hell.

Something else crossed her mind, and she raised her head to look at the blonde once more. "...Minato-san, you are the first person I've seen since I arrived here. What were you doing by yourself in the woods?" she inquired.

At the sound of her using his name for the very first time, the man's blue eyes suddenly locked onto her own, flaring with a hidden intensity that made it difficult for her to maintain eye-contact. Her cheeks grew warm and she silently cursed the attractiveness of his face.

To both her relief and mortification, the corner of his lips slowly tilted upwards, and the blonde thankfully shifted his eyes back to the shadows playing on the wall.

"I wasn't actually alone, at least not at first," he responded casually. "In our society, I am what is known as a Guardian, and our duty is to protect the Village. My unit was tasked with a reconnaissance mission to find the location of the Nest. That is the reason I was in the forest."

She mulled over the new terminology thoughtfully. The word "Guardian" was fairly self-explanatory, and she guessed he was some kind of soldier. But what exactly was the Nest? She voiced the question aloud, and then almost wished she hadn't when a shadow reappeared across his features. Apparently, this was a touchy subject for him.

"The Nest is the source of our misery." he answered darkly. "We have reason to believe that the parasites live together in one central location, where they eat and breed under one ruler. Imagine a colony of ants, or a hive of bees. That is why we refer to it as the Nest."

"...I see. So where are your teammates?"

"I assume they must have returned to the Village. They're probably wondering what happened to me."

Sakura nodded again, satisfied by his answers. For some reason, her thoughts drifted to the gaping hole she had seen in the side of the mountain, and its strangely smooth edges that had appeared too perfect to be natural. It was only a few days ago since she saw it, but it felt like even longer had passed.

A part of her wondered if what she had seen could be the Nest her new companion spoke of, and she decided to ask him about it when she had more energy. Right now, her brain was fogging up again, and she needed time to digest all of the new information.

Nothing escaped the blonde's sharp eyes and he easily observed the barely-concealed fatigue on her face. For some reason the sight of it bothered him.

"Sakura-san, please get some rest," he suggested politely. "Tomorrow morning, we'll see if your leg is ready for travel. If it is then we should leave for the safety of the Village immediately. We have a long way to go, so the sooner we leave the better."

She nodded sleepily. Pulling the white cloak up to shield her face, she buried her nose into the thick fabric, inhaling deeply. It smelled nice, she mused, like the sharp clean wind that accompanied a swift summer storm. In spite of her troubled thoughts, it wasn't long before her breathing evened out, and she drifted into an uneasy slumber.

.

Minato had laid down as well, but he could not sleep.

His mind continued to churn rapidly. The man she described had sounded extremely familiar to him, which was the reason why he had immediately known it wasn't truly a man.

There was only _one_ brown-haired, red-armored person that he knew of, and that person would never step foot outside of the Village without his trusted adviser.

This was serious news that needed to be reported immediately, and the Elder was _not _going to be pleased that a dangerous copy of himself was running about in the wild.

The blonde-haired Guardian gingerly rubbed his aching temples and fought the urge to sigh.

In spite of his best efforts to appear strong, sometimes he felt like he was getting too old for this. He had arrived in the Chasm over twenty years ago, but it had never become any easier.

In this world, each day was a deadly game of survival that more people lost then won. He had seen countless people die, including the previous Elder. However, the concept of aging did not exist in this reality, which meant that those who could avoid being killed were technically able to live for an eternity.

In fact, Minato himself looked exactly the same now as when he had first awoken here all those years ago.

It was both a blessing and a curse.

While there were plenty of survivors who enjoyed the prospect of eternal life, others like himself felt it was more of a punishment. After all, what was the point of living forever if it was a life of fear and suffering?

The woman beside him suddenly shifted in her sleep, drawing his attention back to her. The rise and fall of her chest was slow and even, and pale eyelashes fluttered gently as she dreamed.

With her long rosy hair and refreshingly feminine features, she was the loveliest thing he had seen in a very long time.

It had been extremely difficult to take care of her wounds, mostly because of the inappropriate temptation that seized him whenever he touched her. Even now, his heart-beat quickened as he recalled the silky feel of her smooth skin beneath his calloused fingertips. Forced to take off her dress in order to check for wounds, the sight of her unclothed form had caused his pants to become uncomfortably tight, much to his shame.

Minato knew it had been far too long since he last had a woman, but the situation could not be helped. In the Village, women were far outnumbered by men, which meant that most of them took multiple lovers at the same time. Even the unattractive ones. In fact, it had become common for a woman to have two, or even three husbands.

Because of the extreme gender skew, finding a woman was an extremely difficult task for many men. Nevertheless, that was not the real reason for his temporary abstinence. Highly intelligent and perceptive, he knew that many women would not pass up the chance to have him due to his power and good looks.

However, the truth was that he had no interest in bedding women who already catered to multiple men. Neither was he interested in pursing a romantic relationship. There was only one woman he truly wanted, and she was unavailable to him.

Sakura didn't know it yet, but if they made it back to the Village, he had a feeling her pretty face and wide green eyes was going to be the source of a lot of trouble.

Tonight, he had purposely withheld information from her because he hadn't wanted to overwhelm her. She would find out the rest soon enough, as long as she kept herself alive.

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* * *

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With a gasp, Sakura jerked awake. The lantern was out, and the cave had been plunged into a darkness so thick that it smothered.

She didn't know why, but instincts had awoken her. A sense of dark foreboding slithered around in her chest, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck tingle alarmingly.

"Minato." she hissed softly, unsure if he was there or not.

Something shuffled in the dark, followed by the sound of a match striking against rock.

A small yellow flame burst into existence, and she breathed out a sigh of relief as he re-lit the lantern. However, the relief faded as she watched him swiftly tug on his boots and reach for the rest of his gear.

"What's going on?" she asked in bewilderment.

Judging by the deep frown etched on his face, the man clearly knew something she didn't.

However, he didn't get the chance to speak because a muffled screech had resounded through the air. To her ears, it sounded like a mutated cross between a lion and a hawk. A second later, something powerful _rammed _into the top of the cave with a heavy _boom_; sending dust and small chunks of rock raining down on the two occupants inside.

She nearly jumped in surprise, and beside her, Minato muttered something that sounded like a curse.

Eyes watering from the dust, she raised the cloak to shield against the falling debris.

The man beside her had his narrowed eyes trained on the forming cracks in the ceiling, and there was a deep furrow between his brows. "We're being attacked by a higher level parasite." he explained in a tightly controlled voice. "It must have caught my scent when I left to get supplies earlier."

She frowned at the foreboding news. "Can we try to fight it?"

He shook his head. "Not unless you wish to die. A monster of this level can only be killed using chakra."

Nodding grimly at the revelation, she tried to stand up, but her still-weakened body refused to cooperate. Before she could try again, Minato was suddenly beside her. He slipped a strong arm around her waist and easily hauled her to her feet.

He didn't let go, and so she took that as permission to use him for support. His powerful muscles felt like solid rock beneath her fingertips.

Glancing up at him through dust coated lashes, she couldn't help but notice how calm and focused he appeared.

The thing outside screeched again, and the cave shuddered once more under the force of a second blow, then a third. As the blows became continuous, she realized that it was only a matter of time before the cave was breached.

The man supporting her was thinking the same thing. Ignoring the concealed entrance in the floor she knew was there, he quickly shuffled them over to a section of the wall. Placing his left hand on the rocky surface, he felt around for a secret switch.

Moments later, there was a small _click_, followed by a grinding noise. Sakura watched in mild surprise as part of the wall slid open to reveal a narrow doorway, and the dark tunnel beyond.

Above them, there was an ear-splitting rumble that sounded like a crack of thunder.

Reacting swiftly, Minato heaved them both to the side, just in time to save them from being fatally crushed by an avalanche of falling rock. He had twisted his body so that he took the brunt of the impact. A cloud of dust billowed into the air.

Ignoring her injuries, Sakura coughed and quickly struggled to her feet, not wanting to crush the man that cushioned her fall for longer than necessary. The lantern had disappeared beneath the rocks, but strangely enough, she could still see.

Glancing up, she saw that pale white light streamed into the cave from a massive hole in the ceiling.

Unfortunately, light wasn't the only thing coming in.

She didn't know what it was, but the writhing mass of flesh-colored tentacles that squirmed through the opening _must _have escaped from someone's worst nightmares.

There were too many to count, and they were attached to a body outside the cave that she hoped to never have to see.

Thick as her wrist and dripping in some kind of foul-smelling mucus, each of the flailing appendages were tipped with a long black claw that appeared razor sharp. Like earthworms, their segmented bodies contracted and pulsed with each sinuous movement.

Frozen in place by morbid curiosity, she watched as the serpentine limbs began fanning across the ceiling of the cave, digging their claws into the stony surface to stay attached. Similar to an octopus exploring its new lair, they probed at each crevice meticulously, as if searching for something…

Someone jerked roughly on her arm, and she tore her eyes away from the gruesome sight to see Minato watching her. The fierce intensity on his face made his eyes glow like twin blue flames, rendering her back to reality.

"Sakura, you go on ahead. I'll catch up." he ordered harshly. In his right hand, he gripped a gleaming black sword that shimmered in spite of the dim light.

Realizing what he was planning to do, she immediately opened her mouth to protest. However, he silenced her with a sharp glare that made her spike with anger. The blonde knew he was being rude, but the current situation was so urgent he simply _could not_ take disobedience for an answer.

She was going to hate him for this, but time was running out.

In a movement so swift that she barely felt him touch her, Sakura found herself unexpectedly shoved through the secret doorway he had opened in the wall. Landing on her back with a pained _oomph_, her head smacked against the ground, causing an explosion of white stars to dance across her vision.

Disoriented from the fall, she cursed and blinked rapidly, and suddenly found that she could not see a thing. There was no light coming in because the opening she had fallen through had completely disappeared.

With growing dread, she realized that Minato had sealed it behind her.

A tiny part of her was flattered that he had obviously done this to protect her, but another, much bigger part was screaming furious obscenities.

_That bastard! How dare he do this?! _

Feeling a small bubble of hysteria rise in her chest, she roughly groped the rocky tunnel wall with both hands, searching for some kind of lever or switch that would open the door from this side.

However, her frantic movements revealed nothing, and after many minutes she allowed herself to slump tiredly to the floor.

All was silent, except for the sounds of her own heavy breathing.

She couldn't hear anything from the other side of the wall, which made her extremely nervous. Although she hadn't known Minato for very long, the man had already made a deep impression on her. She hoped the damned bastard would stay alive.

Feeling strangely calm, Sakura cautiously stood up.

He had told her to go ahead, and so she would. There was no other option.

Unable to see in the darkness, she began slowly feeling her way down the tunnel.

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_...To be continued._

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- **To everyone who reviewed**: THANK YOU! I hope this chapter answered most of your questions!

**- Lori – **If you were creeped out by the first chapter, then I succeeded in my intentions!

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**~ Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated****! :)**

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